


and all the leaves on the trees are falling

by joely_jo



Series: Moondance [2]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Backstory, Betazed, Bonding, Established Relationship, F/M, I hate tags, Imzadi (Star Trek), Leaving, Love, Past Relationship(s), Pre-Canon, Pre-Season/Series 01, Where I rewrite stuff so that it feels right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25770466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joely_jo/pseuds/joely_jo
Summary: The end, or the beginning, or maybe just a pit-stop along the way. Another tale from the Janaran Falls on Betazed.
Relationships: William Riker/Deanna Troi
Series: Moondance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858213
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	and all the leaves on the trees are falling

**Author's Note:**

> It is not necessary to have read the first story in this series 'all the night's magic', but you could, if you wanted to!
> 
> While I love the Peter David novel Imzadi, I have a few problems it, so in the spirit of fanfic, I've chosen to ignore its existence and stick to the somewhat limited canon of the series. I've assumed that Will and Deanna were together for much of his time on Betazed. 
> 
> Lots of the canon I used to ground this particular story came from the episode Second Chances.

And all the leaves on the trees are falling

2361 

There was no Fall on Betazed. Being a world with a largely sub-tropical climate, there were very few deciduous trees and as such, no specific season when the leaves were shed. Instead, leaves fell based on the amount of rainfall. When the dry season was reaching its conclusion, the leaves began to fall from a lack of water. It had been a dry summer, hotter than usual, and Will Riker had suffered with the scorching heat. Being raised in Alaska had its advantages, but when it came to hot weather, he was thoroughly out of his element. 

He stood in the grounds of the Starfleet psychiatric hospital where Deanna was currently working, pacing back and forth under the spreading boughs of an olander tree. The huge, tent-like canopy of leaves above him blocked out the sun and made it several degrees cooler beneath, a relief from the intensity of the midday heat. Ostensibly, he was waiting for Deanna to join him for lunch, but in reality, his mind was awhirl with the morning’s events. Arriving for duty that morning, he’d been greeted by a flashing message from Starfleet Command. He’d opened it to reveal a communique giving him new orders and a new posting. It seemed his two and a bit years cooling his heels on Betazed was coming to an end – the Potemkin needed a new operations officer and Captain Kelly had chosen him. It was an incredible offer. A promotion to full lieutenant and a new starship posting, all in the same communique. But the initial excitement had now dissipated and he was waiting here knowing that he’d have to share the news with Deanna.

Fifteen minutes later, he caught sight of her walking out of the main entrance, deep in conversation with a short and somewhat plump doctor whose face he vaguely recognised. She saw him as he came out from under the tree and smiled widely, ushering him over to where she was bidding goodbye to the doctor. “Will,” she said. “You’ll know Doctor Ginn Thrax? Ginn, this is Lieutenant William Riker, Betazed’s current Starfleet liaison officer.”

“Hello, Doctor,” said Will and offered his hand to the Betazoid. “Nice to meet you.”

“And you, Lieutenant. Deanna here speaks very highly of you.”

He turned and flashed a smile at Deanna. “She does?”

“Don’t act surprised, Will,” she chastised lightly. “You are my… what did you call me the other day? My _significant other_.” She rolled the phrase around her mouth as if she was getting used to sound and meaning of it, then turned back to Doctor Thrax and continued, “I’ll see you after the weekend, Ginn. I’ll have those initial reports finished as soon as I can.”

The doctor nodded, smiled and bid his own goodbye, before heading off into the city on foot. “So… lunch?” Deanna said as she looked back at him.

“Yeah, sure. Where do you want to go?”

“I thought we could try that new café by the river. The one we walked past the other night.”

“Okay.”

They headed off towards the river and Will contemplated how he was going to break the news to her. Silent as he was, it didn’t take long before Deanna picked up on his bubbling anxiety and stopped him mid-stride. “What is it, Will? I can feel you’re tense.”

“I’m fine. I’ve only got an hour before I have to be back, so let’s keep moving.”

When they arrived at the café and found a table, the lack of motion immediately made him twitchy and uneasy. She stared at him befuddled as he worked his way through a large black coffee in a matter of minutes and then began drumming his fingers on the table. Eventually, she reached across the table and took up his hand. “Talk to me, Imzadi. There’s something amiss with you.”

He pulled his hand free. “Deanna, I…”

Suddenly, she put the pieces together and interrupted him, “You’ve been given a new posting.”

He nodded. Deanna’s eyes fell and she sucked her lower lip into her mouth. There was an awful moment as he felt his stomach sink and the reality hit home. He was leaving Betazed.

“I heard from Starfleet this morning. It’s a promotion to full lieutenant and the position of Chief Operations Officer aboard the Potemkin with Captain Ryan Kelly commanding.” His words sounded robotic and he stopped himself, paused and took the time to study her – she had reined in her initial dismayed reaction and was suddenly smiling at him broadly.

“Congratulations, Will. This is wonderful news!” she exclaimed. 

It was a convincing show of happiness, but he wasn’t fooled. A simple feather touch of his mind to hers showed him that his news had ripped her open. His eye narrowed. _Is it, Imzadi?_

Ignoring his unspoken question, she asked, “When will you leave?”

“If I accept, in about two weeks.”

She looked down again. A waitress came to their table and took their order swiftly, sensing that there was a difficult conversation occurring. “I don’t have to go…” he said after a moment, but even as he said the words, he heard the lack of conviction in them. “I could decline the offer.”

Deanna shook her head. “No, you won’t. Remember who you’re talking to, Will. You want to go. You _need_ to go. You can’t stay on Betazed if you want to keep moving up the ranks to captain. This was a pit-stop, nothing more.” She reached across the table and took his hand again. “I understand that. I’ve always understood that you were not going to stay here.”

“It doesn’t mean that this is the end, Deanna. Lots of people maintain relationships when one partner is out in space. Your father and mother…”

“I know. My father spent much time away from us.” She smiled with a little wry sentimentality. “I once counted up how many months we actually spent together in my whole life. Thirty-nine months, Will. In seven years, I saw my father for thirty-nine months.”

There was nothing really to say to that. It was a fact that life as a serving Starfleet officer was often lonely and solitary. There were few ships where families were able to accompany officers; for the most part, spouses and children were considered to be encumberments, unless the officers in question were senior ranking, and even then it was discouraged. A distraction, Will had once heard it referred to by an academy supervisor.

But despite this, he had no desire to break up with Deanna. Their relationship had been going smoothly for nearly two years and he knew there was a small part of him that would have been happy if he’d remained on Betazed indefinitely.

“I don’t think I intend to remain here either,” she said, drawing him from his thoughts. “I’ve been considering a shipboard posting myself recently. There is something appealing about primary care and with the new counsellor positions aboard Excelsior and Intrepid class ships now being rolled out, there is definite potential for me to try something different.”

“The Potemkin is an Excelsior class. Perhaps you could put in for a transfer yourself,” he said, sounding hopeful.

She smiled at him. “Perhaps. Listen, Will… Imzadi… Things will work out the way they are supposed to. You know I’ve always believed that.”

“I know… but I’ll miss you,” he said. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to dematerialise the table between them and gather her up in his arms.

“As will I, you.”

“There’s subspace. And communiques.” He grinned. “I’ll have you know I write a mean love letter when I’m appropriately inspired.”

Deanna chuckled. “I look forward to receiving them.”

The waiter returned and placed their lunches in front of them and from that, the mood lightened to their usual friendly and easy discussion.

***

Eleven days later, he was in his quarters, packing up his possessions when the chime on the door sounded. “Come in,” he called and the doors opened to reveal Deanna, dressed in a figure-hugging formal black dress. “Hey, you look smart,” he said as his eyes drank her in a moment.

“Admiral Moreau was at the hospital this morning. I thought I’d better make a good impression if I was thinking of applying for shipboard assignments.”

He went to her and leaned down to kiss her. “Any captain would be lucky to have you.”

“Why, thank you, lieutenant, but I believe you are biased.”

Will grinned. He kissed the top of her head, then returned to his packing. “So have you had chance to think about tonight? I’d like to spend my last night on Betazed with you.”

For a moment, she was silent, walking around the bed to sit next to his case. Her fingers trailed over the pile of uniform undershirts waiting to be placed inside. “I want to go to Janaran Falls,” she said softly.

“Sure. We haven’t been there in a few months.”

“No.”

“And it’s kinda special, isn’t it?”

She looked up and smiled at him, then nodded, stood and moved to the door. “Pick me up in a couple of hours? I want to go home and change out of this dress and pack up some food and blankets.”

“Deanna… I can’t stay out all night. The Potemkin will be here at 0700 tomorrow morning and I’m expected to meet with Captain Kelly on board.”

“Oh, of course,” she said. Her eyes slipped from his face and he could tell she was trying to hold back her emotions. “We’ll come back here.”

“I’m sorry,” he replied, going to her and embracing her in an effort to apologise for asserting himself and putting a dampener on whatever her plans had been.

“It’s fine, Will. I understand.”

“We’ll talk later,” he promised. She nodded against his chest, then pulled away and walked out of his quarters without saying another word.

Will watched her go. Once he was sure she was out of sight and not going to turn back, he dropped to his knees and pulled out a polished walnut box from under his bed. He lifted the lid and smiled as a tinkling rendition of Tchiakovsky’s Swan Lake began to play. The box was lined in plush navy blue velvet and from out of the velvet a gold and diamond ring glinted. He plucked it up and regarded it thoughtfully, watching as the diamond caught the late afternoon light and flashed sparks around the room. “Well, Mom, you wanted me to give this to someone special. I guess it’s time it came out of this box.” 

The heat of the day had dissipated by the time they arrived at the falls and Deanna had donned a soft wool shawl to keep her shoulders warm once they’d climbed out of the transport and made their way down to the viewing bridge. Will was relieved by the drop in temperature and was basking in the slight breeze that had struck up and was lifting its way through the leaves of the trees that bordered the pool. In his pocket, the ring felt heavy with the anticipation of what he was planning to do; he kept slipping his hand inside to turn it between his fingers from time to time.

“What’s Captain Kelly like then?” said Deanna after they’d stood in silence on the bridge for a long few minutes.

“By all accounts, he’s fair and reasonable, though he’s apparently a stickler for routine,” said Will. “He’s been captain of the Potemkin for four years now. Previously, he was first officer on the Dauntless.”

“Are you looking forward to it?” Her voice was quiet and Will could tell she was doing her level best to keep conversation light and her tone hopeful for him. He mulled his answer a moment, uncertain how to reply and not upset her further.

“Yes,” he said in the end, honestly. “It’s been good to be planetside for a while, but the stars are what draws me.” He paused. “We should make some plans. Something to look forward to for both of us.”

She smiled at that, warming. “Yes, we should.”

“Would you like me to come back here? Or should we find another destination?”

“Risa,” she said brightly. “I’ve always wanted to go to Risa. To see what all the fuss is about.”

Will grinned. “It’s really very good.”

“Then that’s settled. Risa it is.”

They gazed at each other for a moment. “Six weeks, then I can take some shore leave. That’s not very long, is it?” 

“No…” Her voice drifted away and she looked at the ground. “I’m going to miss you so much, Will.”

Now was his moment, he thought. He stuffed his hand in his pocket and clasped the ring in his fist. In his head, he quickly rehearsed the lines he’d been practising off and on all day one last time, then closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, willing himself to gather his nerves and just do it.

“Deanna… When I came to Betazed I never imagined that I’d meet you, or anybody for that matter. I was so determined to hate this assignment. But you changed all that. I love you, Deanna… more than I’ve ever loved anybody, more than I think I could ever love anyone. You’re part of my soul and, um… what I’m trying to say is that… I’ve been thinking, I’d like you to come with me. I really can’t imagine what my life would be like without you in it… So I’d… I’d like you to come with me. After I’ve served for six months, I’m eligible to bring family aboard, so if we got married…”

He paused and dropped hurriedly to one knee in front of her, holding up his hand and opening it up to reveal the ring. It looked ridiculously small and insignificant in his palm. He lifted his eyes and fastened them onto her face, which had paled. A long moment of silence passed and he started to think that all his efforts were going to go to waste and she was going to say no. He fidgeted. “Say something, Deanna.”

Finally, she seemed to find her voice. “Will… Imzadi…”

He could feel the rejection in her tone, sense it stretched taut with tension through their bond. He scrambled to his feet and shoved the ring back into his pocket and turned away. What a fucking idiot he was! “Nevermind. Forget I ever said anything.”

Pacing away from her, he reached the other side of the bridge and frowned down at the river as it flowed away from the falls. A fish leapt out of the water and splashed back in. He pursed his lips and swallowed hard.

After a moment, he felt her warm arms snake around his middle and his body tightened in response to her touch. She laid her face against his back. He turned sharply and took her by the shoulders, pushing her away so she was at arm’s length from him. “Look, Deanna, I’m sorry. I thought it would be a nice thing, a good thing, but obviously you don’t think so.” He blinked a few times, stupidly feeling like his eyes were prickling with tears. “I’m sorry I asked you.”

“Don’t say that, Will,” she said, wounded. “It was what you felt in that moment. I recognised that.” She reached up and placed her hands on his chest. “And I’m not saying no… I’m just saying not yet. This is a critical juncture for us, a test if you will, to see if this is really what is right for us now.” Her hand cupped his cheek, then she fingered the front of his hair. “I know you love me, and I know that I love you—"

“Then what’s the problem, Deanna?” he interrupted. “If we both love each other, shouldn’t we just get married anyway?”

She sighed. “I just think we need to deal with one thing at a time. Your life is going to change immensely over the next few days and weeks. You’ve said yourself, life on board a starship is not the same as life on a planet. In a few weeks, you might feel a lot differently to how you feel right now.”

“I’m still going to be in love with you though.”

“I hope so…” Smiling, she stepped in close to him. “But I think we should just wait to make any big decisions until the ground has settled again. Take things one step at a time. After all, we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us.”

He drew in a deep breath. She was right, of course. She always was. But he couldn’t help the sense of defeat that ran through him – he’d hoped to have left tomorrow with some kind of assurance that this wasn’t the end for them. Something to hang on to while he was finding his feet on a new ship with a new captain and a new crew. Now, he felt like he was taking the first of many steps away from her. He sighed. “Deanna, I really meant it, you know. I want to marry you.”

“I know you do. In this moment, you wanted nothing more,” she said with a soft smile. “And maybe when we meet on Risa, you’ll still want the same thing and then, well… then maybe I’ll say yes.”

He tilted his head as a surge of happiness replaced the feelings of insecurity and uncertainty. “Six weeks isn’t very long,” he murmured and took her face in his hands, thumbs caressing her cheeks.

“No, it’s not.”

“And Risa is an amazing planet. White sandy beaches, exotic food, music, entertainment… clear, blue oceans and lagoons, sea breezes, warm weather… You can have sex anywhere you want…” He grinned.

“Sounds like the perfect planet for you.”

“And you, Deanna. You’ll love it – I know you will.” He bent and kissed her. “And we’ll be together.”

“Yes,” she agreed. She was smiling now too and she took his hands. “Come on, let’s go for a swim before we head back.”

They stripped off and dived into the pool. He grabbed her beneath the water and they broke the surface together, laughing wildly. “I love this place,” he told her as they held each other, his feet just touching the sandy bottom of the pool before it dropped away into the plunge pool. “For a while, I thought that Betazed was becoming like a second home for me, but now… now I think it’s you, Deanna Troi, you’re like home to me. When I’m with you, I feel—"

“You feel loved,” she finished for him.

After that, they did not speak for a while. Will nudged her nose with his own and their mouths fell together, as if they were being melted into one. He felt her in his head, opening up like a blooming flower and he responded in kind, sighing with pleasure until their thoughts and minds were mingled completely. In the glimmer of moonlight, he felt the world fall away and for the longest of moments, there was no Starfleet and no life except that life that he had with her, here and now. He basked in the joy of that simple feeling and held her tight against him, caressing her skin with worshipful hands and a growing sense of desire.

A few moments more and in a voice filled with longing, he breathed, “I need to be inside you.”

She nodded and they waded out of the water, finding the glade where they had made love the first time she’d brought him here. Now, at the end of a long, dry summer, the grasses were yellowing and the ground was harder than it had been before, but neither fact mattered to either Will or Deanna. They sank to the ground amid the fallen and sun-browned leaves, kisses deepening with every moment. Deanna’s legs fell open and with a shift and a sigh, suddenly he was _there_ and they were joined. They stilled, their faces mere increments away from one another, and breathed each other’s air for a few seconds.

_Come on, Imzadi… Move with me._

The voice in his head, urging him on and the gentle buck of her hips made him push deeper inside her and he began to move. “I love this,” he whispered into her neck. “You feel so good. So fucking good.”

Her laugh tinkled in his head. _I want you, Will._

They found a rhythm and the need for words vanished as they sought to imprint themselves on one another, as if hoping that this thing they shared together could be drawn on when they were both light years away from one another. When Deanna came, she cried out his name and he followed her into a climax that shook him to his bones.

**Author's Note:**

> Always here for feedback! I have one other story planned for this series, but several more ideas that could grow wings if people would like that. 
> 
> Title taken from Van Morrison's 'Moondance', which is one of my favourite tunes.


End file.
